In re Smith

Having a non-lawyer justice of the peace preside over a criminal trial which results in a jail sentence violates a defendant's due process rights since justice courts are not courts of record | Having a non-lawyer justice of the peace preside over a criminal trial which results in a jail sentence violates a defendant’s due process rights since justice courts are not courts of record | “Neither Brady nor any other case ... requires that disclosures under Brady must be made before trial.” | Government not required to turn over Brady material before trial | no present case or controversy